Why aren't you tanking?

[Thelyron]

Several reasons.

1) I don't like tanking dungeons. Or trash groups in raids either, for that matter. I like tanking bosses. Only tanking bosses, however, is not supported.

2) Other people. I like to tank at my own pace. While i'm not "slow", i'm a lot slower than some other tanks i've seen in dungeons. If i don't feel comfortable pulling another group, i shouldn't be pressured into it, or have some dps or healer pull the group, only for them to die because my aoe tools were on cooldown (which was probably the reason i didn't want to pull them in the first place), and then yell at me for not "tanking properly".

3) While i have absolutely no problem keeping up while playing a dps, while tanking, the game often gets a bit too hectic for me nowadays, and i often feel like my toolkit isn't good enough to pull and keep the groups the game throws at me. This probably has more to do with me, seeing as i mained dps classes for the last 10 years, than it has to do with the game being "unfair", but that's just how it is.

4) Tanking feels mechanically different nowadays than it did some years ago. I definitely tanked more during wrath and cata than i do now. I even mained tank during firelands (not out of want, but out of need). I think it has something to do with that whole "active mitigation" thing, of which i think that it works in some cases, but not in all.

5) General rotation and priority system changes in the game. I want to be gcd capped. I want to press a button in every second of a fight. DK tank does not offer that (DK is my main class since day 1 wrath).

I do tank from time to time, but only when i have to because queues take too long. Maybe it isn't even the game at all, but me having to play with randoms since mid MoP. I don't know.

[IAmAToaster]

I am not far off from legally blind which affects my response time.
I don't run dungeons or raid often enough to know which packs to skip or which turn to take. These days that seems to be treated like some cardinal sin.
Not a fan of having to be mobile while tanking on certain fights (much preferred vanilla and BC). Again my eyesight and response time affect this.

Mostly I miss playing with people who respected that I was the tank. That it was my job to pull and hold aggro and you WAITED until I and the healer were damned well ready. If I did not know which way to go or pulled and extra pack people either helped with advice/directions or just shut up and did their end of the job. These days its all gogogo and bitching if a run takes more than 15 minutes and some insane expectation that just because someone specced as tank they should be an uber-player who has the entire game memorized and basically on farm. Creates a stressful environment and I'm here to play a game for the fun of it which to me has nothing to do with speed runs.

[Djuntas]

Can't deal with NOT tanking say a 5 man unless I know the tank. Pugging as DPS sucks.

Sure the tank has to lead, but if you know the content, then its a breeze.

[shadowmatrix]

Why don't I tank? Got tired of the players.

[shaunika123]

because then I cant stare at the boss's ass?

[Vasilisa]

because then I cant stare at the boss's ass?

It's the dps role

On the topic: I've been tanking for years now and can't imagine not tanking. I believe the myth of responsibility and tanking being hard still goes around. Tbh tanking is the easiest role atm, with dps being on top during raids.

[Lazuli]

I have tanked a LOT in fact I was MT in our cata 10man team through MoP and WoD. There are a few reasons I refuse to tank in Legion.

1) Just another spec I have to farm shitty legendaries for, and before AP became meaningless it was a huge cock block as well.

2) Legion destroyed the fun factor I had for many many specs and I do not enjoy any of the tank ones except for blood (my dk happens to be on a realm I abandoned thanks to the atrocious Wpvp this xpac )

3) The dps is atrocious in open world, I can wombo combo anything as dps but running around in prot is just awful

Basically, Legion has completely ruined my fun of tanking.

[donbooger]

PUG tanking has a huge learning curve compared to Healing and DPS. I start each expansion as DPS and healing then move into tanking as I learn the encounters. Its the most fun because it really feels like it is your dungeon or your raid and the others are just assisting you to complete it. You are at the controls and can vary or play as you see fit, it stays fun while the other two roles get tiring fast.

But damn it can be stressful for the first few months, you have to earn it.

[TranquilDream]

In addition to bad anxiety, I just don't have the patience to deal with the GOGOGO crowd. Maybe I'm not chain pulling because I'm not comfortable yet, or the healer's mana is low, or any other reason I deem valid?! Asking to let me do my job (pulling and holding agro on mobs) is just too much to ask sometimes.

Long story short: people suck

[madokbro]

I can dps and text, if I tank and text i will miss a taunt by two seconds or something and the other tank will die, and we will wipe. Fuck no I'd like to slack every now and then.

[Craaazyyy]

im not Byron Scott

[Better]

1) I don't like tanking dungeons. Or trash groups in raids either, for that matter. I like tanking bosses. Only tanking bosses, however, is not supported.

Personally I feel like you have more freedom on trash packs to make decisions. Curious why you only like bosses.

2) Other people. I like to tank at my own pace. While i'm not "slow", i'm a lot slower than some other tanks i've seen in dungeons. If i don't feel comfortable pulling another group, i shouldn't be pressured into it, or have some dps or healer pull the group, only for them to die because my aoe tools were on cooldown (which was probably the reason i didn't want to pull them in the first place), and then yell at me for not "tanking properly".

In short: unless you're tanking exceptionally slow who cares what other people say. You can live that tank life and be near immune to being kicked from groups, and have that 10 sec queue even if you are. LFD DPS, and especially LFD healers (yeah healers I watch you be terrible, do literally 0 DPS/HPS then pull another pack because it's "too slow", despite you doing actually nothing to help speed it along) can be frustrating, but reacting to them doing something like that overall will make you a better tank.

3) While i have absolutely no problem keeping up while playing a dps, while tanking, the game often gets a bit too hectic for me nowadays, and i often feel like my toolkit isn't good enough to pull and keep the groups the game throws at me. This probably has more to do with me, seeing as i mained dps classes for the last 10 years, than it has to do with the game being "unfair", but that's just how it is.

You learn this overtime. One big thing for all roles really is just don't panic. Most players end up making a bad situation worse when they panic.

4) Tanking feels mechanically different nowadays than it did some years ago. I definitely tanked more during wrath and cata than i do now. I even mained tank during firelands (not out of want, but out of need). I think it has something to do with that whole "active mitigation" thing, of which i think that it works in some cases, but not in all.

Active mit is definitely different than what tanks had back then. Personally I prefer this playstyle to the older one where it was all mostly passives and CDs.

5) General rotation and priority system changes in the game. I want to be gcd capped. I want to press a button in every second of a fight. DK tank does not offer that (DK is my main class since day 1 wrath).

I picked Veng DH for this exact reason, I can't stand not being GCD capped, breaks the flow of combat for me.

[GrumpyViking]

I wrote a reply but I did something wrong it seems. So apologies if there's a duplicate showing up. ( I'm pretty new to posting here, mostly creep around)

I used to tank up until Cataclysm. Then because of a lot of stuff going on outside of the game. I just couldn't deal with it anymore.
It really set off my anxiety. Going from tanking Heroic ICC to being afraid of Mythic dungeons. Regular mythic, not even M+.

Funny thing is I still got the Protection mage tower challenge done on my Paladin alt. So I dare say I have a fair grasp on it. But anxiety is a weird bastard.

And let us not forget that pretty much turning off your brain and smashing out some DPS and get loot for it is pretty neat.

[Acelius]

Can't deal with NOT tanking say a 5 man unless I know the tank. Pugging as DPS sucks.

Sure the tank has to lead, but if you know the content, then its a breeze.

But if you don't know it you'll risk getting flooded with non-pleasant words.

During the start of Legion I actually got yelled at by a raid-geared dps for not knowing my way around a dungeon. A normal dungeon no less.

[RobertoCarlos]

the WoW community is too annoying to tank or heal for. Even when you do a good job you never get thanked, and you make one mistake and the world is ending

Always end up getting abused at some point being a tank or healer and dps you can do whatever you like and nobody cares

[Vasaru]

One thing that shocks me is hearing people say they only have 1 artifact weapon for a class.

Like. What kind of warrior ONLY gets arms or fury for example? It's just unbelievably lazy and selfish.

[Lazuli]

One thing that shocks me is hearing people say they only have 1 artifact weapon for a class.

Like. What kind of warrior ONLY gets arms or fury for example? It's just unbelievably lazy and selfish.

Yeah.. totally selfish if someone doesn't like playing a certain spec.

[PuppetShowJustice]

My class doesn't have a tank spec. If it did I'd happily tank.

[Vasaru]

Yeah.. totally selfish if someone doesn't like playing a certain spec.

Don't play stupid. You know what I mean.

[clevin]

One thing that shocks me is hearing people say they only have 1 artifact weapon for a class.

Like. What kind of warrior ONLY gets arms or fury for example? It's just unbelievably lazy and selfish.

Who the fuck are you to care how other people play?

Don't play stupid. You know what I mean.

And why should we have to read your mind? Type out what you mean.